Wondering about switching major from English to Sociology?

[plznE3]

Hey everyone,

 

I just graduated with a degree in English. During the last year I realized that my main interest is really exclusively 'theory' and that I find the process of applying theoretical concepts to literature a bit forced. Now, I am not talking about literary theory here, which I actually quite like. I mean writing a paper in which I want to talk about, say, neoliberalism or Lacan or Foucault, and having to always bring that back to doing a reading of a literary work.

As application deadlines are in a few months and I still have a lot of research to do, I'm getting worried about changing direction, though. For most schools, an undergrad in sociology is not required to get into a sociology grad program but I'm wondering what my chances are. I might want to add that I have changed my major and university several times during my undergrad career and I am worried about seeming unfocused. English will be my third area of study, but I have maintained a 4.0 GPA during my entire academic career. As of now, I think I have relatively good chances of getting into an English PhD or MA program but I'm not sure how a fourth change of direction would look.

Do you guys think it's possible to apply for Sociology programs at some schools and for English at others? Do I have to ask for 2 different versions of my letters of recommendation? Would you guys recommend I switch majors? Do you think it would be more fulfilling to me than English?

[danieleWrites]

I would think that you shouldn't have trouble shifting from one to another. The big question is what kind of sociology are you interested in? ASA has a listing of sections (http://www.asanet.org/sections/list.cfm) that can give you an idea about the spectrum of things you can get into. A lot of people want to just do theory, but sociology is a science and theory is a part of the method. You've probably read Bourdieu's Distinction: A Social Critique ofthe Judgment of Taste. This is living the theory dream. If you still have JSTOR access, go read some sociology journals and see what people are doing.

 

If you do have trouble, there's something called the sociology of literature. Terry Eagleton has an interesting article called "Two Approaches in the Sociology of Literature" in Critical Inquiry Vol. 14, No. 3, Spring 1988.  There isn't a lot out there on the soc of lit, because it's not a major thing. It's practiced by people in literature (Eagleton) as well as people in soc.

 

I have a BA in soc and a BA in English. The methodology is very different. Getting into a program just means that you'll have to take undergrad courses to make up for your deficits, like statistics and methodology. I'm into the idea of the sociology of literature, but I'm coming at it from the literature angle rather than the sociology side. I don't want to simply examine a piece of literature with a theoretical perspective (oh, look at the classism in House of Mirth, as Marx would point out, capital is everything!); I want to use literature to support and test theory. Sociology's purpose is to test theory.

 

I don't think the changing of majors in undergrad is a big deal; universities know that the truly weird are the ones that never change their major. What you have to do if you decide to go for sociology is write an SOP that convincingly explains what you intend to do with in sociology, how their program can help you do it, and how you fit into their program. If you don't know what you want to do in soc, you're going to have trouble switching. A strong, confident discussion of how your background makes you qualified helps. I don't think you need to get a second BA, unless you're set on soc and you keep getting unilaterally turned down.

 

This is all my opinion, with no backing.

[ohgoodness]

Hey everyone,

 

I just graduated with a degree in English. During the last year I realized that my main interest is really exclusively 'theory' and that I find the process of applying theoretical concepts to literature a bit forced. Now, I am not talking about literary theory here, which I actually quite like. I mean writing a paper in which I want to talk about, say, neoliberalism or Lacan or Foucault, and having to always bring that back to doing a reading of a literary work.

As application deadlines are in a few months and I still have a lot of research to do, I'm getting worried about changing direction, though. For most schools, an undergrad in sociology is not required to get into a sociology grad program but I'm wondering what my chances are. I might want to add that I have changed my major and university several times during my undergrad career and I am worried about seeming unfocused. English will be my third area of study, but I have maintained a 4.0 GPA during my entire academic career. As of now, I think I have relatively good chances of getting into an English PhD or MA program but I'm not sure how a fourth change of direction would look.

Do you guys think it's possible to apply for Sociology programs at some schools and for English at others? Do I have to ask for 2 different versions of my letters of recommendation? Would you guys recommend I switch majors? Do you think it would be more fulfilling to me than English?

 

http://www.sociology.northwestern.edu/graduate/cluster-initiative.html

 

But why sociology? Why not philosophy or social anthropology? 

I would say that sociology has really returned to being a data-driven discipline but then again I have only worked in one of those places (demography) where theory is a dried-up well of excuses. 

[SocGirl2013]

I was a double major in Soc and English in undergrad, and I have to say, one lends very well to the other. It should be a really smooth transition, especially if you're interested in cultural aspects of Soc. Literature serves as a great comparative tool to perform all kinds of different theoretical analysis. PM me if you want some examples!

[gilbertrollins]

I was a double major in Soc and English in undergrad, and I have to say, one lends very well to the other.

 

As I understand it, undergraduate sociology curricula poorly represent what professional sociology looks like.

[ohgoodness]

As I understand it, undergraduate sociology curricula poorly represent what professional sociology looks like.

I guess it would depend on which kind of methodology is the predominant at the program that one applies to.  If you go into a quant-heavy program (econ soc, movements, strat, networks, whatnot) then I'd say that you would be completely lost with a good knowledge of linguist type skills but in a more qualitative program then one could probably do great things when doing comparative, contextual analysis or frame analysis. 

[gilbertrollins]

I just read the original post by plznE3.  Pure theory is out of vogue in sociology; in fact there are really no more proper theorists in sociology anymore.  There are still strong debates and divides over which methods can and should be used in which contexts for which questions, but postmodern theory is not popular in sociology anymore, and never had the impact it did in say anthropology.  

 

Personally I think pure theory of any sort is pretty useless, so I have a hard time recommending you proceed with your interests, but if you must, you'll probably find more of an audience in the English department, yes.